Don't believe these fictions! Top 7 myths about food that existed in the USSR

Each country has its own principles of eating, which its residents consider to be the most correct. But in reality, this is only because people are used to them. When you visit another country, every dish and tradition may seem strange.

For example, the former USSR also had certain rules that were considered correct due to the lack of information from open sources. Now, all these rules can be called the most common fictions. FoodOboz presents to your attention the top 7 myths about food that existed during the Soviet Union.

Counting calories

"Proper nutrition has a positive effect on a person's ability to work," says the 1939 edition of The Book of Delicious and Healthy Food. Back then, doctors were considered the masters of the kitchen, not cooks. They were the ones who calculated the caloric content of dishes, as well as the content of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

A lot of research was conducted, which resulted in the development of a diet for certain categories of the population, depending on their type of activity. The most interesting thing is that the emphasis has always been on increasing calories. That is why sour cream was always served in glasses in canteens, and meat was recommended to be eaten almost three times a day. Another interesting fact is that no one paid much attention to the taste of food. The main thing was to eat to your heart's content.

Everything with bread

There is nothing surprising in the fact that in the Soviet Union, almost everything was eaten with bread, even pasta. This myth stems from the previous one, because it was thanks to flour products that the amount of calories that a person allegedly lacked was "finished off."

"Bread and porridge are our food". Every citizen of the USSR used to know this saying. Indeed, people ate even porridge with bread, filling their stomachs with additional calories. Perhaps nowhere else in the world is there such a cult of porridge as there once was in the USSR.

Spicy foods are dangerous

In Ukraine, bland food is still considered healthy, while spicy food is not recommended even for healthy people. This myth is a legacy of the famous nutritionist Manuel Pevzner, who worked in the 1930s.

In his opinion, adding spices to dishes for spice is "capricious to the tastes of the bourgeois consumer, giving the dishes an original flavor, and for this purpose all kinds of spices and seasonings are abused." In fact, Soviet scientists simply did not know about the health benefits of spices, so they decided to put them on the list of unhealthy foods.

Three dishes for lunch

First, second, and compote is a phrase well known to all people who lived through the Soviet era. It was believed that a full meal must include a first course, a main course, and compote or tea. This myth came from the development of rational nutrition, in which Soviet experts focused on the pre-revolutionary diet of citizens.

Canteens were required to serve soup made with meat. It was in this dish that the flavor of spoiled meat was least felt, and it was the most commonly served food. The second course could be fish or boiled meat, which served as the basis for the soup. By the way, it was believed that eating three dishes for lunch was a sign of prosperity in the family.

Start with appetizers

Zucchini spread, herring with mustard, stuffed eggs with mayonnaise, or sandwiches were always served first. The first glass of vodka was poured to accompany these dishes, which were actually eaten with what was served on the table.

At that time, it was even considered useful to drink "50 grams for appetite". But then the situation changed and alcohol was removed from the traditional diet. But for some reason, the appetizer, which is served first on the table, has remained until now.

Without the first course, you can spoil your stomach

People who lived in the Soviet era considered first courses to be almost a panacea. Even at the first manifestations of a cold in children, housewives tried to cook a rich chicken broth. Doctors explained the benefits of the soup by the fact that it protects the gastrointestinal tract.

Interestingly, doctors still have different opinions about this statement. Some believe that boiled vegetables, bones, and other components of the first course do not have any benefits. While others argue that most of the beneficial properties of these products disappear during long heat treatment.

Jelly or compote is the best dessert

Three courses for lunch sounds rich, of course. But in Soviet times, it was not possible to prepare a full-fledged dessert as a third course. So it turned out very interestingly: juice was considered a drink, while jelly or compote (a liquid with dried fruit and a lot of sugar boiled in it) was considered a dessert.

Sometimes ice cream was served as a dessert. Over time, it became very popular and began to be produced on an industrial scale. Back then, people ate it to cool off in the heat and just as a treat. But compote and jelly remained the third course for lunch.